Assimilation in the American culture has been an issue almost since the birth of the country. The very nature of the United States is one of multiple cultures with a single nationality in common. The number of immigrants coming into the country signifies not only the prosperity of the country, but also implies a number of issues concerning assimilation. A number of losses, but also gains are for example experienced by immigrants to the United States.

According to McGuire, more recent immigrants tend to adhere more closely to the cultures and groups they left in their own countries than is the case with the previous generation of immigrants. This could relate to an issue of cultural pride. Whereas assimilation and integration into mainstream American society was the priority with the first generations of immigrants, the emphasis is now on retaining as much as possible of the original culture.

Also related to the above issue is a sense of loss. Immigrants to a new country experience a substantial loss of home and country. This loss then manifests itself in an urge to retain whatever is possible from the old culture. Thus what is gained is often a stronger feeling of cultural pride than before leaving the home country. Stronger connections with family and other persons from the same country are also formed (Lee).

Another gain for immigrants can be experienced from partly assimilating with the mainstream of American culture, even while retaining what is best of the original culture. What results is then a combination of the original and the new culture in order to form something new. This new culture then becomes part of the "melting pot" concept (McGuire) that has been part of the ideal of assimilation. Although this is often perceived as negative by those wishing to retain as much as possible of their original culture, it could also reflect positively upon the general culture formed by the variety of elements making up the American culture. The country and culture being lost are replaced not by anonymity, but rather by a new and improved identity.

Sources

Lee, Jonathan. "Assimilation? If so, to what degree?" American Immigration, 2004. http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/assimilation.html

McGuire, William C. "Immigrants & Cultural Assimilation Now." Donovan-Fitzgerald, 2004. http://www.donovanfitzgerald.com/articles/20.shtml